Video games often see a lot of changes and cuts throughout their development, whether it's to meet tight deadlines or for gameplay reasons. Some of these cuts are memorable, while others are less glorious. In this article, we'll explore ten cut features you might not have known about from classic video games.
1. GoldenEye 007: Four James Bonds in one
One of the Nintendo 64's most iconic games, GoldenEye 007, could have offered players the chance to play as four different James Bonds. In addition to Pierce Brosnan, the game would have included Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton in multiplayer. Unfortunately, legal issues surrounding the use of actors' faces led to the abandonment of this promising feature.
2. Perfect Dark: Play as yourself
Perfect Dark, the spiritual successor to GoldenEye, originally planned an intriguing feature called "Perfect Head." The developers wanted to allow players to use the Game Boy camera to import their own face into the game. However, concerns about the feature being abused by trolls led to its abandonment.
3. The Mysterious Forest Cats from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess received widespread praise when it was released in 2006, but some fans were disappointed by the omission of a mysterious forest that was shown in an early trailer. This forest was supposed to be freely explored, but it was removed from the final game, as were the cats that resided there, leaving many players unsatisfied.
4. Super Mario Bros 3: Unused Levels
It is common that levels are removed during the development of a game, but in Super Mario Bros. 3, many beta levels were preserved in the game's code. Some of these levels were well-designed, but they never made it into the final experience. The discovery of these unused levels came as a surprise to fans, and some were so well-made that they deserved their place in the game.
5. Link and Samus expelled from Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Marvel Ultimate Alliance was known for its vast roster of superheroes, but the developers attempted to add Link and Samus to the Wii version. However, Nintendo wouldn't agree, and the characters were removed from the game after being included in a demo based on the PlayStation 2 version, which didn't sit well with Nintendo at all.
6. Mega Man: The Bond Man Mystery
The first Mega Man game was supposed to include a character named Bond Man, based on an image drawn from descriptions. Although Bond Man was not included in the game, his popularity among fans eventually led to his appearance in other Mega Man-related media.
7. NBA Jam: Mortal Kombat Fighters Removed
In NBA Jam Tournament Edition, Mortal Kombat characters such as Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, and Raiden have been added in secret. However, this inclusion raised concerns and was removed after backlash from the NBA.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening – Two-player co-op mode
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was supposed to feature a two-player co-op mode, but the feature was scrapped during development. Players had to wait until the release of Four Swords in 2002 to experience a cooperative adventure with Link.
9. Contra for NES: The Hidden Level Selector
Contra for NES was extremely difficult, but the Japanese version of the game included a hidden level selector that allowed players to start at any level. This feature was removed from the North American and European versions, leaving players to figure it out as best they could.
10. Super Mario Bros: When Mario Had a Gun
In early versions of Super Mario Bros., Mario was armed with a rifle and a laser gun. However, these weapons were removed to give the character a more friendly appearance, leaving behind a strange story of a gun-toting plumber.
In conclusion, video games are full of fascinating cut features, from deleted characters to unused levels. These cuts are an integral part of the development process, but they always spark curiosity among players. Video games are constantly evolving, and who knows what intriguing features await us in the future?
